Receptacle having a handle



May 30, 1951 w. G. ANDERSON, JR 2,986,324

RECEPTACLE HAVING A HANDLE Filed James, 1958 5Q 5`3 /55/5: 4s sa 44 as 45 INVENTOR. I4 WILBER G. ANDERSON JR.

n l i n i E 5.64 @MWOLMJJL ATTORNE'T ice . filas-i4 l nncErrAcLE HAYINGA HANDLE Wilbur G. Anderson, J'r.,1Graa`Rpids,Mich.`, assign/16 `to Americany `BoxBoard Company, Grand Rapids,

' This invention relatesto' paper boardlboxes generally 1o reasonsgmentionede;

Patented May 3.0. 19.61

wouldbe involved in-haviigalpackage icludingsanyt of mo'stcdmmonlyvknwn types' if carrying handles xfoi" paper-boardl boxes would be" totally inadequate for the heavierloads to be carriedi-by. these containers. i* 'Ihosel` handlesfwhichrare formed/solely 'as apart of the boxk blank,. as in' dress or suit'boxes 'and'. the 1ike,'wo uld prove;

and more particularlyvto a'v heavy dty'box 'havinganf improved carryinghandle.

Paper fboard boxes are used Y topackage numerous ferent products. vIt isl'necessary that the'cost of the boxes be kept to a' minimum to preserve theprots ofthe3 20 packaged produot."'1`he cost ofpaper boardf boxes -is/` reflected in the type of`paper board material' used','the

complexity vof the" paperboard blank"required, the loss of material in forming the blank, the number of opera? tions required vto form the blank 'and laterv to 'fold and erect the'box, the 'ease of handling the boxkv blanks, the ease of grouping numbers of boxes together for shipment,v`

tional-materials and equipment to form and assemble the handle to the'blank or erectedbox. Either form of handle, when 'made 'a part of the box blank, oftenproves" obstructive tothe stacking of fthe box blanks on top of each other and'side 4by side.v `If the'handle isl one which iselate'rllattached to .the erected `box,lit is frequently-'a'y hinderance toconveyor transfer, group stacking,garran'g' ing the boxes for display purposes, etc.

' Carrying handles are most frequently attached to eitherk Carrying handles may bev totally inadequate.. `'Those handles which might be separately `formed and fattached tothe erected Lbox are too. expensive to provide and are unsuitable for several of the This invention is particularly directed` to. an inexpen. sive heavy duty paper board box having an improved carrying handle prc vi d ed` therewith. f The paper board; material 'isnot vrequiredftobe-0f any heavier QODSYUCIDB. becauseof-,the carrying-handle. Y ,The boxv blank isformed,

-' in the manner of the simplestof paper board box blanks.,A

During the blanking operation, oneof the closure flaps of, thepaper board-box;blank is adaptedv to later provide the, carrying handle, ,Howeyen the' handle portionremains aty theclosureap and lpresents no ob` l' struction to a stacking of the blanks for shipment. Furthermore, the handle forming part of the blank is so dis'- posed that it cannotbe inadvertently damaged or broken. The disclosed paperboard box blank is readily erected into a box or receptacle shape. The handle forming part ofthe box blank remains undisturbed Within the closure apf The .closureflap is ,used to close the receptacle in the conventionally known manner. n Except for providing for the handle in fthe blanking' operation, the disclosed paper board box is formed, handled, erected, etc., in the conventionally known manner of the most'sirnple of paper board boxes.

After the closure ap, which includes the handle portion, `is secured in place, a reinforcing member is secured across the top of thepaper board box and is engaged with fthe 'side' walls thereof. This reinforcing member a top or side wallA of the erected box. The full weight y of theb'ox and its contents are required to be carried by the handle engaged top'or sidewall of thebox- Unless'ithe box ,is reinforced 'in the vicinity of the carrying handle, it will frequently tear under a' heavy load 'ors'ome slightmisuse. Having'the'paper board box reinforced to accommodate a carrying handle, or the handle formedin a more complicatedmanner for reinforcement pur-.

poses, is always expensive. p

One ofthe `more commonly known.4 andused paper;

boardbox1receptal -is that formed from a rectangularpaper board blank to include adjacent side and endwalls having closure fflaps provided at each end thereof. This is a simple paperboard blank to form, involves no complicated forming'dies, there is nol appreciable loss of materials, .andthe blank lies flat for shipment. "Iihely is impractical for the producer jof these goods to provide -Howevej since the price of the product. is reduced Y inthe largersizesto attract customers it I formed from the paper board blank of Fig. land hav-`- is preferably a reinforced tape, including nylon threads` or the like, and has 'no appreciable thickness. The width of the reinforcing tape is only such as required by the width of the handle part formed in the receptacle closure This'completes the packaging of the product and provides` a handle: member for later use by the customer. The handle portion remainsa part of the closure flap and with lthe thin reinforcing tape remains unobstructive to the group packaging of the individual paper board boxes forshipment. Y i y The handle carrying mmberis made'aocessible by the4 consumerin selecting the paperboard box container foipurchase. The uppermost closure ap includes 'hand holdf cutolits or 'accesses on eachside of the handle formingf v part of the cover flap. When the customer reaches fortlie box his hand engages Athev part of the carrying handle extending-across' the handleaccess area. In grasping the' handle to lift the box the handle is separated from the'` uppermost closure flap. -The handle port-ion 'and the rel inforcing member provide a lifting strap which is engagedl with the side Walls of the container rather than the topiV The weight of the package is distributed be-r4 tween the two side walls and across the bottom of the package and is adequately supported by the disclosed thereof.

handle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a paper board box blank formed to include the carrying handle hereinafterrdescribed.

'F-ig.' 2 is a perspective view of a paper board box ing the closure flaps' partly open. f

lFig. .3 isa perspectiveview'of the paper vboard box shownin Fig. 2 having amore, expensive; receptacle -for y,hisproduct;such as, g handle portion of this inventionaready. for use.

the closure aps closed and the'f Fis. 4 is a vertical cross. sectional View ,et .a Paper board box showing the handle portion disposed for use.

The paper board box blank 10, shown by Fig. 1, in-

etudes. agjaeently disposed andcontiguousrside .endendwall section l'lalo'ng fold line '19;and is securedtothe insideV face of side .wall section v14 when the blank isVY folded into'a tube.- Flap 18 isshown secured to theendt 1o wall section 14 inthe other figures. of the drawing.

A Bottomclosure flaps- 21, 22, 23Yand 24 are provided at one end of the wallsectionsV 1'1, 12, 13 and 14 respectively. They are deiinedrfrom the wall sections by fold lines 25, 26, 27 and 28 andare separated from each o therby cut linesior cutout separations, 40, 41 and 42.

p ATop closure flaps 31,3233 and 34 also extend from the other end of the wallisections 11, 12, 1'3`and 14, respectively. The top closureY flapsalre defined from the wall sections by fold linesi35, 36, -375 and 38 and are, separated from each kother by cut lines,`-orV cutout separa,-

tiens, 43, 44 and 45. l

f One of the top closure aps, in this instance side Wall ap 31, is formed to include a `carrying handle part 50.

This is accomplished by having parallel spaced lines ofr separation or weakness 51 and 52, formed in thecover tiPf The linesof weakness 51 and 52 are shown as tear perforations disposed across the cover or closure flap 31 parallel `to and spaced from both the free end of the flap, v

and the fold line 35. The tear perforations 51 and 52 are shown centered within the cover ap 31 and, as` formed, retain the handle part 50 as` a part of the ,cover` flap.

The tear perforations, or lines of weakness, 51 and 52 are intersected by hand hold cutouts or accesses 53 and 54 respectively. The one cutout 53 is formed from the separation line` 51 towards the free end of the cover-ap 31. The other hand hold cutout 54 is Vformed from the other separation line 52 towards the fold line 35.

The carrying handle 50, as it lies within thel cover flap 31, includes the handle portion 55 between thecutouts53` and 54, and the end portions 56 and 57 which lie between the lines of weakness 51 vand 52 at each end ofthe cover ap. Y

The paper board box blank is formed to the shape of the receptacle or container shownA in Figs. 2 and13 by folding `the wall sections 11,12, 13 and 14 to assume right angles to each other and securing` the glue flap 18 to- The bottom closure flaps 21, 22, 23 and 24 are secured' together by adhesive bonding, stapling or any other suitable means.

The top closure aps 31, 32, 33 and 34 are folded together in a similar manner to that of the bottom closure aps. The end aps 32 and 34 are first folded in over the open upper end of the box, as shown in Fig. 2. The side wall closure flap 33 is next disposed over the end flaps 32 and 34. The cover flap 31 is folded last over the top of the container. This disposes the handle part 50, which is formed in cover closure flap 31, uppermost on the closed receptacle or box. The closure flap 33 lies directly under the handhold acccsses53 and 54.

The cover closure aps 31, 32, 33 and 34 may be secured together in any of a number of conventionally known manners. These includeadhesive bonding, stapling` not be secured to-covcriap; 33.

assenza.A

After. the container member is. elesedy a. lens, narrow `and relatively thin reinforcing member 60 is secured across lies flat against the end;` .closure formedby closure ap 31.

It is too thin to create an unevenuess in the top surface of the carton which willi be significant in the stacking of the cartons. The handle presents no obstruction to stacking the boxes for shipment or display either veri tically or side by side. ,The receptacles may. bef` moved i equipment such as conveyors..

on` conveyors, shifted relative to each other, and handled in the same manner as boxes whichrdo not include carry-I ing handles. The flatness of the handle structure eliminates the danger of its becomingA 'caught in handling This is important be cause it -frequently results in interference with the conveyoring equipment of damage to the carton.

rlfhe disclosed receptacle is adapted `to. provide a carrying handle in the following manner:

When a customer reaches for one of the receptacles,

formed as disclosed, the customer inserts his fingers through one of the hand hold cutouts 53 and 54 under the central portion 55 of the handle 50. The customersA clingersgraspthe handle part 55 and the reinforcing tape member 60 secured thereto. handle ends 56 and 57 separate from thecover flap 31 along the tear perforation lines 51 and 52. The ends 61 and 62 of the reinforcing tape member 60 remain engaged with the side walls 12 and 14 of the receptacle and the carrying strap is disposed as shown in Fig. 4. The weight of the contents of the receptacle is carried by the side walls 12 and 14 and is distributed between them. The primary weight of the carton is supported by the tape 60. The transfer of stresses between the tape and the canton occurs exclusively in the area of attachment of the ends of the tape to the sides of the carton. This transfer occurs in shear providing the strongest possible structural arrangement for both the adhesive and the materials involved. Further, since these are substantially inwardly directed vectors of force at these points, the heavier the load the more tightly the tape is caused to clamp against are the side faces of the box.

The paper board material forming the handle beneath the tape gives the grip portion of the handle lateral resistance to compression. This prevents the handle from crushing together like a rope as the carton is lifted. The wide handle distributes .the load on the users hand, preventing it from cutting or hurting him. This` is particularly important in heavy cartons,

This carrying strap has proven suitable for use with packages weighing 25, 50 or more poundsy and vis structurally adequate for innumerable products being offered in large, economy size containers. Thestrength of the carrying strap is principally dependent on the strength of the paper board box material used since the reinforcing tape ends -61 and 62 may be made to overlap the side walls of the container member as much as proves necessary. However, because the joint between the tape and the box acts in shear, severe loads can be supported by conventional side wall materials since the invention takes advantage of the best structural characteristics of the paper board material used.

While a preferred embodiment of this invention has been described, it will be understood that other modications and improvements may be made thereto. Such of these modifications and improvements as incorporate the principles of this inventionare to be considered as-n- As the box is lifted, the

annessa eluded in the hereinafter appended claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.

I claim:

1. A box having a handle forming means, comprising: a bottom; four vertical side walls; a cover forming a closure for said box; a pair of spaced, generally parallel perforated tear lines formed in said cover; a pair of hand hold cutouts formed in said cover, said hand hold cutouts lying outwardly of and adjacent to said perforated tear lines; and a separate reinforcing member overlying and secured to a pair of side walls of the box, said reinforcing member lying above said cover and bearing against that portion thereof lying between said perforated tear lines whereby said box may be held closed by said member, said member and said portion being capable of together forming a handle.

2. A box as defined in claim 1, said reinforcing member comprised of a strip of tape.

3. A box having a handle forming means, comprising: a bottom; four upstandng side walls; a plurality of cover aps forming a top closure for the box; a pair of perforated tear lines formed in -the uppermost of said cover flaps, said perforated tear lines lying generally parallel to each other and extending ygenerally to opposed edges of the top closure formed by said cover aps; a pair of hand hold cutouts formed to lie adjacent said perforated tear lines and outwardly thereof; and a separate reinforcing member overlying and secured to a pairk of opposed side walls of the box, said reinforcing member lying above the closure formed by said cover aps and bearing against that portion thereof lying between said perforated tear lines whereby said box may be held closed by said member, said member and said portion being capable of together 'forming a handle.

4. A box as defined in claim 3, said reinforcing member comprised of a strip of tape.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,524,399 Krueger Jan. 27, 1925 1,974,792 Berney Sept. 25, 1934 2,639,082 Goldsmith May 19, 1953 2,797,856 .Taeschke July 2., 1957 2,842,304 Ringler July 8, 1958 2,864,547 Guyer Dec. 16, -8 2,868,433 Anderson Ian. 13, 1959 

